Revelation 12: The Epic War Of The Ages Series

We have come to the 12th Chapter of Revelation. We are past the halfway point of Revelation and entering into the second half of the tribulation. We are awaiting the blowing of the Seventh Trumpet which will be the coming of the 7 bowls. Before we get into the details of the events of that time, John is going to rewind the prophetic clock to give us an overview of what I call the epic war of the ages.

What we are going to examine today is the battle that has ensued against Israel (and ultimately God) from Satan. When you place your life in the hands of God and when the righteousness of Christ is given as your righteousness - whether you are a Jew born into God’s kingdom or a Gentile grafted into the kingdom - you are imparted into a deadly battle that has raged for millennia.

Satan hates God and he hates all those who are called by God which means he hates you. As much as God loves you; Satan hates you. Therefore, he will do all he can to deceive you, destroy your faith, and inhibit you from receiving God’s blessings, as well as your family. Satan also seeks to keep and deceive the world from following God and receiving the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ into their lives.

In our current events, I shared with you a few current news stories that underscore this spiritual truth. Now, to make this point clear to the readers of Revelation, John is taking us all the way back to the fall of Satan, the Fall of Man, the coming of Christ, and then into the Great Tribulation. We will also see tonight how the false teaching of Replacement Theology (that is, the idea that when Israel rejected Christ, they were replaced with the Church) is not possible following a sound interpretation of this passage of Scripture.

1. “A Great Sign appeared in Heaven…” (Revelation 12:1a)

"And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." (Revelation 12:1a ESV)

As I mentioned before, John is taking us back all the way to the fall of Satan from Heaven. We are shifting in the perspective of the events of the Tribulation here in Chapter 12. Chapters 1-3 are the historical understanding of the 7 churches in Asia Minor. Chapters 4-11 have generally been John’s perspective from the mezzanine level in heaven. Chapters 12-14 are more from Satan’s perspective.

The word “Great” is used 4 times in Chapter 12 (vv. 1, 3, 12, 14). It is the Greek word “Megas” meaning objects very large. John is standing in the meds of these events and these are massive things happening.

The word “sign” is the first of seven signs in the last half of Revelation. A sign means something is occurring that points to something else; a symbol of reality. I drive between Maryland and Pennsylvania all the time. When I get to the Mason-Dixon line there is a sign to welcome me to the state. I don’t jump on the sign and say, ‘Here I am.' I only am pointed by the sign to the reality of my current location.

So it is with Scripture. There are clear literal portions of Scripture and there are places where Scripture tells us we have symbolism. This is a good reminder of the normal interpretation of Scripture should be literal, unless we are told differently. Where it is a sign, the Spirit of God generally tells us it is a sign. That supports that the book of Revelation is generally to be interpreted literally.

2. The Woman Clothed With the Sun (Revelation 12:1b)

“a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” (Revelation 12:1b)

In prophetic Scripture, a woman always refers to a religious construct. In Revelation, we are introduced to 4 such women. Revelation 2:20 tells us about the woman Jezebel. This is pagan worship mixed in the church. In Revelation 17, we read of the Great Harlot, which is the apostate church. In Revelation 19, we find the Bride of Christ, which is the true church - the Church Triumphant. Here we find a woman clothed with the sun about to give birth. Every description of this woman is a reference to Israel.

In the Old Testament, we read Israel being described as a woman in travail (Isaiah 54:5; 66:7; Jer 3:6). It goes back to as far as Genesis 3:15, which we know as the ‘Protevangelium.’ Gen 3:15 “15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Here we find how at Satan’s judgment when he is cast down, there will be a constant war between her and Satan, and ultimately our Lord Jesus Christ.